2020 Olympics: Everything You Need to Know About Tokyo Games

The world's top athletes will descend upon Tokyo in the summer of 2020 for the Olympic Games.

After beating out Madrid and Istanbul for the right to host in September 2013, Tokyo is set to become the first Asian city to host twice. The Summer Games were last held in the Japanese capital in 1964.

But with the 2020 Olympic Games still more than half a dozen years away, the hype is sure to reach epic proportions.

The theme for the Tokyo Games will be "Discover Tomorrow," suggesting that officials have significant plans in the works to transform the host city in time for the opening ceremony on July 24, 2020.

Here we'll get you set for the anticipation with a rundown of everything you need to know about the Tokyo Games.

When: Friday, July 24 through Sunday, August 9, 2020

Where: Tokyo, Japan

What to Expect

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As pointed out by International Olympic Committee member Tsunekazu Takeda during the voting process, Tokyo symbolizes a safer choice for the IOC considering the direction the committee has gone in awarding recent Olympic Games to Sochi, Russia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, per USA Today's Kelly Whiteside:

Tokyo can be trusted to be the safe pair of hands and much more. Our case today is simple. Vote for Tokyo and you vote for guaranteed delivery...Tokyo is the right partner at the right time.

It's a fair point and something to watch for in the coming years. After all, Tokyo has hosted the Games once already and offers both experience and stability.

Japanese officials, including Tokyo mayor Naoki Inose also hope that bringing the Games to Tokyo will speed up the recovery process, per Whiteside:

"By hosting the 2020 Tokyo Games, we will create hope. Our hosting of the Games will accelerate the recovery of Japan's tsunami-affected area."

There's likely to be protest over the course of the two weeks as well. A polarizing subject at the moment is the hunting of dolphins in parts of the country. Many have begun protesting and reaching out to officials in an effort to end the long-standing tradition.

It'll be interesting to see how that and other issues play out in the coming years.

Foundation in Place

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With Tokyo having hosted the Summer Games a half century ago, many of the facilities used to host Olympic events still exist today.

According to Whiteside, the old swimming and basketball building will be used to host handball in 2020, while the former gymnastics center will be used for table tennis and judo events.

Of course, there'll be plenty of new construction for the city to showcase during the two-week event, including upgrades to facilities already in place, like the current tennis venue:

Japan has also hosted the Winter Games twice in 1972 and 1998, but those events were held in Sapporo and Nagano respectively. Therefore, it's been a significant amount of time since the capital was the world's center of attention.

Only time will tell whether Tokyo will prove to be an excellent host and whether the 2020 Summer Games will be the success many are projecting.